Allendale Allendale
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
1 AllendaleAllendale AllendaleAllendale Lifelong Learners Lifelong Learners Lifelong Learners Lifelong Learners Allendale Lifelong Learners 6676 Lake Michigan Drive PO Box 539 Allendale, MI 49401 www.allendale -twp.org/senior This newsletter is a service of the Allendale Charter Township Senior Citizens organization. If you know somebody who would benefit from the information included in this newsletter, please contact Kathy Hanes at 616 -843 -0572 or email khanes@allendale -twp.org 20 February 2020 They did —all 30 of them. Marceau’s exploits were just a few of the daring, and creative, feats What’s inside…? Page # pulled off by the French Resistance. The OCE was particularly in- genious: For example, while smuggling children over the border, A little bit of this and that... 444 one Resistance fighter realized that Nazis never searched sand- Rambling Thoughts... 666 wiches that had mayonnaise on them since the oily condiment might dirty their uniforms. As a result, they hid children’s ID cards - All Things Michigan... 888 in mayonnaise smeared sandwiches. And Loinger was able to get Jewish children over the Swiss border by throwing a ball and tell- Calendar of events... 101010 ing them to retrieve it. Born Marcel Mangel before the war, Marceau saved at least 70 What’s Happening... 121212 children. In addition to his border crossing feats, he also forged identity documents to make Jews look younger so Looking Ahead... 131313 they’d be allowed to flee Nazi deportation. After the war, he changed his name and soon skyrocketed to fame Diary of a Snow Shoveler... 141414 as the world’s most prominent pantomime artist. People connected to the universality of his character, Bip —and his pathos. Part of Just to Warm Your Heart... 161616 that sadness stemmed from a very personal loss during the Holo- caust. In 1944, Marceau’s father, Charles Mangel, was murdered at The Rest of the Story... 181818 Auschwitz. “I cried for my father,” recalled Marceau in 2002, but I also cried for the millions of people who died….Destiny permitted me to live. This is why I have to bring hope to people who struggle in the world.” Call Kathy at 616 -843 -0572 or email khanes@allendale -twp.org if you would like more information on the Allendale Lifelong Learners or any of the activities listed in this newsletter . 19 2 I believe in the rest of the story. I believe there's still ink in the pen.... From the and someday all that's hazy through a clouded glass will be clear at last. director’s desk... Marcel Marceau was known worldwide as a master of silence. This is one of those times where I have so much to share, but not The world -famous mime delighted audiences for decades as enough space to get it all said!! Please call or email if you plan to join us “Bip,” a tragicomic figure who encountered the world without at any of the upcoming activities. Check out some of these “New” activ- words. But during World War II , his skills as a mime came in ities: handy for another reason: He used them to save Jewish children • Walking Club —FREE and good for you! Our goal is 10,000 steps a during the Holocaust . day and it’s indoors!! Starting February 17. See page 12 for details! Marceau was recruited to help the French Resistance by his • Continuing Exercise Class —Monday’s at 11:15 at the Town Hall cousin, Georges Loinger, a commander in the secret unit who • Make It/Take It Art Class —Wednesday, February 19. FREE and fun! was part of the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants, a Jewish relief • Reading/Writing Buddies —Starting in March. Go into the schools group that smuggled Jewish children from occupied France to neutral countries. Loinger, who was credited with saving around and read or write leers to local students from home. Either way it is 350 children, died on December 28, 2018 at the age of 108. a win/win!! See below for details! Their mission was to evacuate Jewish children who had been PSA—There is still time to register for an Absentee Ballot for the March hiding in a French orphanage and get them to the Swiss border, 10 Presidential Primary Election. Call the local clerk, 616 -895-6295 to get where they would sneak to safety. But traveling with large your name on the absentee list. Save time and energy and still make groups of children was anything but easy. Marceau had a secret your vote count! weapon: His training as a mime. “The kids loved Marcel and Have a safe and warm month. I almost hate to say it’s been a mild felt safe with him,” winter so far, but….it has! Until next month, Hugs, Kathy Loinger told the Jewish Telegraph Agency in 2007, after Mar- ceau’s death. “He had already begun doing performances in the orphanage, where he had met a mime instructor earlier on. The We will start a reading and writing program at Evergreen (10690 Learn- kids had to appear like they were simply going on vacation to a ing Lane, Allendale) Elementary on Friday, March 6 at 9:00 AM. This home near the Swiss border, and Marcel really put them at will be a weekly commitment through the end of the year. If you are out ease.” of town a time or two, don't let that stop you!! We can make arrange- Marceau, who was Jewish, didn’t just use his acting skills to ments to see that you're covered. Please call or email to let me know if make the kids comfortable: He used them to save their lives. He you are interested in either program. If Friday morning doesn’t work for mimed “to keep children quiet as they were escaping,” Philippe you, please contact Betsy VanderPloeg (616 -892 -3465) or Beth Voss Mora, the son of one of Marceau’s Resistance com- (616 -892 -3475) to set up a time that works for you. rades, told The Age . “It had nothing to do with show business. He was miming for his life.” The actor also posed as a Boy Scout leader to trick the authori- POLICIES: ties. “I went disguised as a Boy Scout leader and took 24 Jewish • Trips will be rated so that you will know if you are able to participate kids, also in scout uniforms, through the forests to the border, easily, or not. Look for the star rating to know if it is light walk where someone else would take them into Switzerland,” ing (one star), moderate walking (2 stars) or heavy walking (3 stars). he recalled in 2002. And when he unexpectedly ran into a group It is recommended that if you use a walker or cane, then a 3 star will be too much for you to handle. For our regularly scheduled events, of German soldiers near the end of the war, he pretended he was they are all 1 star, unless noted. a member of the French Army and demanded they surrender. 3 18 the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. ☻A Little Bit of this and that... ☻ However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, Give me a sense of humor, Lord —Give me the grace to see a joke. moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make To get some humor out of life and pass it on to other folk! contact. • A Man is suing Smart Water for not making him smart; I’d like to The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher formally announce my lawsuit against Thin Mints! again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. Athe • I don’t care how old I get. If I’m in a store and I see a toy with “Try pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right Me” on it, I’m pushing those buttons. back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up • PROCAFFINATOR: One who puts off tasks until after the first cup the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first base- of coffee or tea! man. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the • Amal and Juan are identical twins. Their mom only carries one photo game. because if you’ve seen Juan you’ve seen Amal... ☺ • Local man addicted to brake fluid says he can stop anytime he wants. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out • Getting older is like being in a haunted house. —there are sounds and of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams smells that can not be explained. started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Never in his life had Shay ever run • Don’t tell secrets in the garden. The potatoes have eyes, the corn has that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, ears and the beanstalk! wide -eyed and startled. • I’ve found that growing up in the sixties was a lot more fun than be- Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, ing in my sixties! Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it • Don’t be worried about your smartphone and TV spying on to the base.